translate

name	translate
description	Translate untranslated strings in PO files. Activates when translating strings, working with PO files, running t:extract or t:untranslated, or when the user mentions translations, i18n, locales, or untranslated strings.
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"joelstein"}

Translate Untranslated Strings

When to Apply

Activate this skill when:

• Translating untranslated strings in PO files
• Running t:extract or t:untranslated commands
• Working with localization or i18n tasks
• The user asks about translation status or coverage

Workflow

1. Run php artisan t:extract to extract strings from source files.

2. Run php artisan t:untranslated to see which strings need translation.

3. Work through ONE language at a time. For each language with untranslated strings:

   a. Read the PO file at the path configured in config/t.php (default: lang/t/{locale}.po)

   b. Find all entries where msgstr is empty

   c. Translate each msgid to the target language, preserving:

   • All placeholders (:name, {param}, etc.)
   • ICU plural syntax ({count, plural, ...})
   • HTML entities if present

   d. Update the PO file with the translations using the Edit tool

   e. Run php artisan t:untranslated {locale} to verify the count decreased

4. After completing each language, move to the next one.

Important Notes

• Do NOT translate the source locale file (typically en) — it is the source of truth
• Keep translations natural and idiomatic for each language
• For ICU plurals, translate the text inside the braces but keep the ICU syntax intact
• When in doubt about a translation, prefer clarity over literal translation